When anyone mentions to me that they are having tagine, I get an immediate sense of food envy. The Moroccan spices and aromas from this dish are sensational. A brilliant aspect of this dish is that it tastes just as good heated the next day, as the spices work their magic when left for an extended part of time.

Ras el hanout is spice mix containing about 25 herbs that reflect traditional Moroccan cooking. It is fairly easy to find at Herbies and occasionally at big supermarkets. A preserved lemon skin can be found here or at any local reliable food stores. I think it is an essential ingredient to the chicken tagine and should not be substituted or purposely forgotten.

Many chicken tagines later, I finally was happy with this recipe. I was inspired by Neil Perry who uses chermoula as a base in his tagine. Its gives the tagine a brilliant warm colour as well a hint of fresh flavours coming through all the spices.

A tagine dish is not essential when making this recipe. Instead you could substitute this for an extra large saucepan with a tight fitting lid.The tagine lid is designed to circulate the vapours from the dish to help with braising the meat and developing a complex flavour.

Okay so enough of the small talk, here is the recipe

WOODEN SPOON RATING:

NOW FOR THE RECIPE:

1. Start by making the chermoula. In a blender add all the ingredients (including the stalks from the parsley and coriander) except for the olive oil. Once all combined, slowly add the olive oil with the motor running on low.

2. Marinade the chicken in the chermoula. I find it simple to put it into a large re-sealable bag (also makes a difference for cleaning up). Allow to absorb marinade for 2 hours.

3. Heat the tagine on med-low. Add 2 tbs of oil and place the chicken evenly on the base of the pan. Add the sweet potato, apricots, olives and water.

4. Turn the heat to low and allow to simmer for 30-40 mins (until the chicken is nearly falling off the bone). Resist the urge to open the lid as this have an impact on the overall cooking and flavour.

5. In a small bowl add cous cous, tagine spice mix and 3 tbs of the tagine sauce. Add 1.5 cups of boiling water and cover for 3 mins

To Serve:

Top with almond flakes and use the base of the tagine as the serving plate.

Voila:

A Moroccan feast that will make winter that little more bearable

It is strange to think it was only in 1995 when internet shopping began; oh the world has changed. Thankfully it has allows for customers to compare prices and shop smarter. Nonetheless there is always the risk of sharing credit card details and trusting unknown companies which can leave you slightly nerve wrenched. I have only recently discovered Kitchenware Superstore, to which has me now addicted to pyjama shopping. I love the idea of same day dispatch and a company that is located in Australia (not to mention, it is guaranteed English and not Engrish support). I just wanted to share & recommend as I love finding out new hot spots from friends.

Readers, I hope you enjoy this recipe; any suggestions please leave a comment below.

Disclaimer: Thanks to the wonderful Elle from Kitchenware Superstore for providing me with a fantastic tagine. Check them out here: